A secret Red Dead Redemption 2 detail brings a long-running video game Easter egg onto John Marston's ranch. Serving as a prequel to the original RDR, Rockstar Games' Wild West simulator takes players to a breathtakingly immersive recreation of the American frontier. Players continue to find secret Red Dead Redemption 2 details even four years after the title's launch, including a reference to a beloved video game tradition.
As a prequel to the first game, Red Dead Redemption 2 showcases the dying years of the Wild West and the progressive development of America. The beloved title follows Arthur Morgan, an outlaw and loyal member of Dutch Van der Linde's criminal posse, as he struggles to escape his fate. The world of RDR2 is intricately detailed, allowing players to completely immerse themselves in the waning years of the 19th century. The game's wildlife, firearms, horses and inhabitants all look and behave in an incredibly realistic manner. In terms of both action and authenticity, Red Dead Redemption 2 matches Django Unchained and other iconic Western films of its caliber.
A video from YouTuber Strange Man shows off a secret Red Dead Redemption 2 detail hidden in the Marston family's ranch. The game's epilogue switches control from Arthur Morgan to the first game's protagonist, John Marston, as he builds the peaceful homestead of Beecher's Hope. Strange Man's video reveals that players can find boards arranged to form the number 0451 following the beloved mission "Home Improvement For Beginners". This four-digit code is a running joke in the gaming industry that traces back to developer Looking Glass Studios and their 1994 sci-fi title System Shock.
Red Dead Redemption 2's 0451 Easter egg pays homage to a long-standing video game tradition that originated in System Shock. Looking Glass Studios' sci-fi action game, soon to be resurrected through a new System Shock remake, used the four-digit sequence as the code to unlock its first door. The code is reportedly a reference to the door code used in Looking Glass' real-world office in Cambridge, and it has since been reused in a huge number of games. Deus Ex, Thief, BioShock, Dishonored, Prey and other games that carry on Looking Glass Studios' immersive lineage have all feature 0451 in some capacity. Now, Strange Man has revealed that Red Dead Redemption 2 pays respects to System Shock in its own subtle way.
The 0451 detail hidden in Red Dead Redemption 2 pays tribute to video game history without sacrificing immersion. The reference is well-hidden, but Strange Man managed to find it four years after the beloved open-world Western first released. Those interested in seeing the Red Dead Redemption 2 Easter egg for themselves must complete the "Home Improvement For Beginners" mission and explore the newly-renovated Beecher's Hope.
Red Dead Redemption 2 is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and Google Stadia.
Source: Strange Man/YouTube